Minado
2917 Swede Rd
East Norriton, PA 19401

I would have never thought I would be writing a review for a buffet.  It's not that I'm too good for buffets, because I love them when I'm starving, but there's usually never a doubt what the quality would be.  Minado is a little different. 

Our party of five came here early in the evening, and although it wasn't jam packed, it was still fairly full - and mostly filled with Asians.  The establishment itself is quite large, so although it wasn't completely full, there was a lot of people here.  So far so good.  

Minado has pretty much everything you'll need - over 40 (yes 40!) different types of sushi and sashimi to devour, hibachi grill for those looking for cooked meat, a variety of Cantonese dishes, and two or three dim sum plates.  The sushi looked - and tasted - fresh, the avocado was still green!  For a buffet, the quality of the sushi and sashimi surpassed my expectations and is on par with some of the non-buffet establishments in Philly.  You won't be disappointed.  

The dim sum was so-so, I guess that's why there was only two or three dim sum dishes.  Not Minado's strong suit.  The Canto dishes were better, with a variety of seafood, meats, and tofu options from which to fill up your growling stomach.  There was also crab legs for those looking to crunch out some frustration.

The desserts were also better than I expected.  There were the traditional fruit options, and also a selection of other small bites - amuse bouche for the more refined :) just kidding.  The oreo cheesecake and the green tea cheesecake were delicious, and the green tea custard (full fat, as someone kept reminding us) was a great way to wrap up a very, very filling meal - all for roughly $30 bucks a pop.

Dim Sum Garden
59 N 11th St
Philadelphia, PA 19107
Neighborhood: Market East


"Dinghy" is how I would describe the exterior of Dim Sum Garden.  Having walked by here quite a few times, I had always wondered how a place like this could operate and break even.  However, a friend who had come here said the dim sum was good and recommended it.  That was a shocker, so I definitely had to try it out myself.

We arrived noon-ish on a windy Sunday.  It was packed.  The establishment itself is relatively small, and oddly enough, it appeared to be quite family friendly.  First, the food.  We had the Shanghai Siu Mai, Fried Soup Pork Buns, and Crabmeat + Pork Buns.

The Shanghai Siu Mai looked a little bit weird and tasted a little bit weird as it was mostly rice.  The Crabmeat + Pork Buns were yummy.  Despite being Asian, I've never had "Shanghai" style - where they're filled with broth and you make a small hole in the "bun," suck out the broth, then eat the rest.  I learned something new!  The same went for the Fried Soup Pork Buns as the name suggests.

Overall, food was good, but I would say it's comparable to other good dim sum places in Philly.  We actually didn't find this place that cheap relative to other dim sum joints.  For those three dishes, it was about $20 bucks with tip - that's quite steep for a dim sum dive.

Maybe it's priced higher because service is so great here?  No.  Our waiter was inpatient and walked by and dropped off our plates without even looking at us or telling us what dish he landed on our table.